As much as Herbert dislikes Strange, he gets it. This man who is literally on fire is dangerous. Thanks for the tip. He's still as polite as he ever gets when he speaks to Ignatius--albeit a bit strangled. Thanks, Jasper. Ow. Anyway, Strange's method is idiotic. Asking a question about someone he says he doesn't know? Nobody would fall for that, and what's more, he doubts Jasper will go along with it.

"You're too late," he says instead, before Ignatius can answer Strange. If that was Lapis defecting, earlier, she certainly put him through a great deal of aggravation for nothing. Seems odd, though. What with the completely disappearing underwater thing. "She's already gone. The meeting, I assume, is cancelled."